A culă (plural: cule; from Turkish kule "tower, turret") is a semi-fortified building found in the Oltenia region of Romania with a number of examples located in the historical province of Muntenia. They were originally built as homes for the ruling Boyar class to defend against violent raids by rebels from the south of the Danube during the eighteenth century and also against riots by local population against the boyars (e.g. Osman Pazvantoğlu). Similar constructions exist throughout the Balkans, see Tower houses in the Balkans.
List of cule
- Cula Barbu Poenaru (1750), from Almăj, Dolj
- Cula Izvoranu, from Brabova, Dolj
- Cula Crăsnaru (1808), from Groşerea, Aninoasa, Gorj
- Cula Cornoiu from Curtişoara, Gorj
- Cula Cartianu from Cartiu, Gorj
- Cula Grecescu (1818), from Şiacu, Slivileşti, Gorj
- Cula Cuţui (1815) from Broşteni, Mehedinţi
- Cula Tudor Vladimirescu (1800) from Cerneţi, Mehedinţi
- Cula Nistor (1812), from Cerneţi, Mehedinţi
- Cula Galiţa (1790), from Câmpu Mare, Dobroteasa, Olt
- Cula Bujoreanu from Bujoreni, Vâlcea
- Cula Greceanu from Măldărești, Vâlcea (the oldest in Romania, approximately 1517)
- Cula Zătreanu from Zătreni (1754), Vâlcea
Muntenia:
- Cula Racoviţa, from Mioveni, Argeş [1]
- Cula Drugănescu from Retevoieşti, Pietroșani, Argeș [2]
- Cula lui Costea, from Frăsinet, Teleorman